The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, has urged South-South states to take advantage of the Federal Government’s framework for direct participation in mining through state-owned Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) and properly obtained mining titles.
According to the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister, Lara Owoeye-Wise, Alake disclosed that several states had already secured mining licence approvals under the framework.
He, however, cautioned states against introducing unilateral policies on mining, stressing that regulatory consistency was essential to building investor confidence and avoiding multiple or conflicting authorities in the sector.
“We have a commonality of objective; we just need to harmonise our strategies and tactics to achieve it,” Alake said.
Owoeye-Wise said the Minister made the remarks when the Director-General of the South-South Development Commission (SSDC), Ms Usoro Akpabio, led a delegation on a courtesy visit to the Ministry in Abuja.
Alake assured the Commission of the Ministry’s cooperation in efforts to harness the region’s solid mineral resources for investment, job creation and sustainable development.
Akpabio said the SSDC was seeking a practical partnership with the Ministry in sustainable mining, environmental innovation, investment and job creation.
She added that the Commission would align its activities with the Ministry’s policies and work with state authorities and security agencies, particularly in the training and formalisation of artisanal miners.
Owoeye-Wise said both sides also agreed on the importance of regional stakeholder and investment engagements to showcase specific mineral opportunities and connect investors with projects across the South-South region.
She quoted Alake as saying that the Ministry would involve the SSDC in such engagements, describing the Commission as a potential driver of deeper investment and development in the region.
